European Union
Digital Day 2018: EU countries to commit to doing more together on the digital front
Brussels, 9 April 2018 – Tomorrow the Commission will bring ministers, representatives of EU countries, industry, academia and civil society representatives together to encourage cooperation in artificial intelligence, blockchain, eHealth and innovation.
Discussions will focus on how the technological developments will shape the future of Europe and building a strong Digital Single Market with increased investment and digital skills is crucial.
After last year’s Digital Day in Rome that triggered successful cooperation in areas such as high-performance computing, connected mobility and the digitisation of industry, the Commission is repeating the initiative to encourage more cooperation on digital issues.
Within a year, major progress has been made towards a Digital Single Market. The end of roaming charges and the portability of online content are now part of the lives of Europeans. Stronger rules on the protection of personal data and the first EU-wide rules on cybersecurity will become a reality in May 2018.
Many proposals still need to be agreed. Europe should move forward, and building on the Digital Single Market, increase investments and foster cooperation in a series of key areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, eHealth and innovation.
Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, said: “Europeans are starting to feel the benefits of the Digital Single Market on the ground. They can now travel across borders with their favourite video and music streaming services – and with no roaming charges. Soon geoblocking when shopping online will be a distant memory. Our personal data will be better protected as of 25 May. This year’s Digital Day is the perfect moment to recognise what we have achieved but to also encourage EU Member States to move forward quickly with the legislative proposals still on the table. We need to prepare our digital future together; we need to do more, joining forces and resources to grasp the opportunities offered by technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain.” (The opening speech will be available here at around 9:30 CET tomorrow).
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, said: “Digitalisation is transforming our society and we can reap its full benefits only through close and fruitful cooperation. Coordinated EU-level commitment and investments are much needed to tackle the challenges ahead. I expect Digital Day 2018 to bring the digital cooperation in Europe to a new level regarding artificial intelligence as well as eHealth, and I encourage all EU Member States and stakeholders to contribute to our efforts to keep Europe a global player in the digital age.”
Highlights of Digital Day 2018 include declarations aimed at:
- Joining forces on artificial intelligence (AI): AI can bring major benefits to our society and economy, such as better healthcare, safer transport and a more competitive industry. To fully benefit from the opportunities offered by AI, European countries need to work together, including for using the highest standards of data protection. The Commission will adopt a Communication on AI in the coming weeks. More about the declaration on AI will be available here at around 13:00 CET tomorrow.
- Building a European partnership in blockchain technologies: The European Commission recently launched the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum in February 2018 and will invest some €300 million in projects supporting the use of blockchain. At the same time Member States have been very active in supporting blockchain ecosystems, launching experiments and announcing actions at the government level. In order to harness the many opportunities of blockchain and avoid a fragmented approach, tomorrow the Commission will lay the groundwork for establishing a European Blockchain Partnership to promote interoperable infrastructures that will enhance trusted digital services. More about the declaration on blockchain technologies will be available here at around 15:30 CET tomorrow.
- Sharing data to personalise healthcare: Citizens’ needs are at the centre of data-driven healthcare innovation and should have an active role in their personalised treatment. The eHealth declaration aims at linking access to existing and future genomic databases across the European Union which will help to advance research in rare diseases, cancer, pharmacogenomics, disease prevention, brain related diseases and other conditions. Enhanced cooperation between Member States will help to overcome lack of interoperability and fragmentation of initiatives across the EU, while guaranteeing highest European standards for personal data protection. This will also keep the EU at the forefront of personalised medicine globally, fostering scientific output and industrial competitiveness. More about the declaration on genomic databankswill be available here at around 17:00 CET tomorrow.
- Encouraging innovation with the help of a new online tool: The Innovation Radar can help match innovators with those who can help get their innovations to market. During Digital Day 2018, the Commission encourages the cooperation for supporting breakthrough innovations in Europe. The initiative also aims to develop the online tool further and enrich it with top national innovation projects.More about the declaration on Innovation Radarwill be available here at around 17:30 CET tomorrow.
- 5G cross-border testing corridors to support connected and automated mobility: A first set of large-scale testing corridors was announced in September 2017. Tomorrow, Spain and Portugal will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to kick-start their cooperation. More about Memorandum of understanding will be available here at around 11:30 CET tomorrow.
Background
During Digital Day 2017, the focus was on five initiatives:
- Ministers signed a declaration to establish Europe as a global player in high-performance computing, which led to accelerated European cooperation on supercomputers with the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking in January 2018.
- 29 European countries signed a letter of intent to establish, together with the Commission, a legal framework for cross-border trials in connected driving, which led to several large-scale testing corridors being announced in September 2017.
- The Commission launched a European platform on digitising industry to connect national initiatives; it helped develop a network of Digital Innovation Hubs across Europe and encourage public-private cooperation.
- The Commission initiated the Digital Opportunities traineeship programme, which led to the launch of the cross-border traineeship initiative in December 2017. The first traineeships are expected to start this summer.
- The Commission presented an updated European Interoperability Framework, which was enshrined in the eGovernment Ministerial Declaration in October 2017 and is considered as the roadmap for the digitalisation of public administrations.
For More Information
Livestream of the Digital Day 2018
Cooperation for building European supercomputers
Timeline: Digital Single Market – Commission actions since 2015
@DSMeu @Ansip_EU @GabrielMariya
IP/18/2902
Press contacts:
Nathalie VANDYSTADT (+32 2 296 70 83)
Inga HOGLUND (+32 2 295 06 98)
General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email
Compliance Updates
THE EU AI ACT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE IGAMING INDUSTRY
By: Danil Emelyanov, Head of AI Labs, Betby
First of all, the regulation of AI is inevitable. The EU was the first to step into this arena with the EU AI Act, setting a precedent that other parts of the world will likely follow. This proactive approach positions the EU as a leader in AI governance, but it also means that regions adopting similar regulations later might benefit from the lessons learned and adjustments made in response to early implementations.
The downside is that those who come last to the regulatory scene might indeed benefit the most. For instance, the competitive landscape in AI innovation currently favors new entrants in the US or UK over Europe, partly due to the stringent compliance requirements of the EU AI Act. This regulation could potentially affect the flow of investments into European AI ventures, making regions with more flexible or yet-to-be-defined regulations more attractive for AI start-ups and investors.
However, the positive aspect is the collaborative approach the EU has taken in drafting this legislation. It’s not a one-way mandate from legislators to businesses; rather, it involves dialogue and input from various stakeholders, including tech companies and open-source communities. Notably, there are exemptions for open-source AI models, likely influenced by contributions from French and German tech firms like Mistral and Aleph Alpha, which have been vocal about the importance of open-source innovation.
The AI Act predominantly focuses on regulating foundation models rather than classic machine learning models. The legislation sets a computational power threshold at 10^25 floating-point operations per second (FLOPS), below which AI systems are generally exempt from stringent regulations. This threshold implies that unless an organization is training a model on the scale of GPT-3.5 or larger, compliance concerns are minimal. This serves as a reminder of the value of simpler machine learning techniques like logistic regression and random forests, which can effectively solve business problems without the complexity and regulatory scrutiny of more advanced models.
For the iGaming industry, the implications of the EU AI Act are relatively manageable. Our legal teams will diligently study the law to ensure compliance, even if it means a slight reduction in the accuracy of our models. This cautious approach is necessary because the fines for non-compliance are substantial, ranging from 1.5% to 7% of global turnover, depending on the severity of the offense and the size of the company. Additionally, some aspects of the Act are vaguely defined, which could pose challenges in interpretation and application.
Despite these challenges, the iGaming sector should remain vigilant. Staying informed about regulatory updates and actively engaging with the regulatory process can help mitigate risks and ensure smooth compliance. The EU AI Act sets high standards for transparency, accountability, and ethical AI use, which, whilst demanding, also push the industry towards more responsible AI deployment.
Compliance Updates
EGBA Welcomes European Parliament’s Approval Of New EU Anti-Money Laundering Framework
The EU’s new anti-money laundering package aims to create a more consistent regulatory framework and will benefit online gambling operators by standardising AML rules and reporting requirements across member states.
Brussels, 24 April 2024 – The European Parliament has approved the EU’s new anti-money laundering (AML) package at its plenary sitting today, marking a significant milestone towards a new EU framework for combatting financial crime. The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), representing Europe’s leading online gambling operators, welcomes the Parliament’s approval of the new AML package and believes the incoming rule changes will strengthen the EU’s approach to tackling money laundering.
The new package will contain:
- A single rulebook regulation – with provisions on conducting due diligence on customers, transparency of beneficial owners and the use of crypto-assets.
- The 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive – containing national provisions on supervision and national AML authorities, as well as on the access of authorities to necessary and reliable information, e.g. beneficial ownership registers.
- The establishment of the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) – which have supervisory and investigative powers to ensure compliance with AML requirements, operating in conjunction with national AML authorities.
EGBA believes the new rules will benefit Europe’s online gambling operators by ensuring a consistent regulatory approach across EU member states. Another important feature, under the competence of AMLA, will be the creation of a harmonised reporting format for Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs). This will ensure that Europe’s online gambling operators encounter the same STR requirements across all EU member states, thereby setting clear and consistent expectations that will reduce administrative burdens and costs.
To assist online gambling operators in complying with the EU’s new AML rules, EGBA has developed industry-specific guidelines on anti-money laundering which apply a risk-based approach and include practical measures that operators can take – on customer and business risk assessments, customer due diligence processes, suspicious transaction reporting, and record keeping. EGBA members already apply the guidelines and submit annual reports to EGBA that summarise their progress in implementing its measures. The guidelines are also open to all operators based in the EU and EGBA encourages operators to sign up to them.
The AML package now awaits formal adoption by the Council of the EU, expected in May, before being published in the EU’s Official Journal.
“We welcome the European Parliament’s approval of the new anti-money laundering package. The new framework will set high standards and ensure greater consistency in the application of AML rules across the EU. Online gambling operators, especially those operating in multiple countries, will benefit from a single rulebook and harmonised reporting requirements that will unravel national complexities. We will look to review our industry guidelines on AML to ensure their alignment with the new EU rules. By signing up to the guidelines, operators can already prepare themselves for the incoming changes in the EU rules and join our members in their efforts to proactively and positively contribute to the EU’s fight against money laundering.” – Dr. Ekaterina Hartmann, Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, EGBA.
Source: EGBA
Compliance Updates
European Union Updates Country List for Stricter AML Checks
The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU), has updated its list of high-risk countries, from which players should be subjected to stricter customer checks by gambling operators.
Based on Directive (EU) 2015/849, Article 9, the Commission identifies any high-risk third countries that have strategic deficiencies in their regime on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.
As such, operators based in the EU that are offering services to these countries or dealing with players from these nations are obliged to carry out heightened vigilance checks.
The list was first published in July 2016 and has been updated a number of times as further countries of concern are identified and flagged by the Commission.
The latest countries to be added to this list – in an update published last month – include Burkina Faso, the Cayman Islands, Haiti, Jordan, Malo, Morocco, Myanmar, the Philippines, Senegal and South Sudan.
Other nations included on the list include Afghanistan, Barbados, Cambodia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Jamaica, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
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